Floor-laying machine



June 7 1927.

H. H. PAYZANT FLOOR LAYING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5. 1925 A1'TORNEY i 7 against the board in such manner as to pre- Patented June 1927.

JHENRY HAImIsrA zAN o1? EVERETT; WA ING-1201s;

moon-LAYING yivmcnnvn.

Application filed October '5; -192}5. serial no. 0,445.

, This invention relates to improvements in floor laying machines and more particularly to a combination jack andnailingdevice especially adapted for [the laying ottongue and groove flooring, or the like.

It is the principal ob: invention to providea device of the above stated character whereby alboard being laid may be first drawn up tight against thepreceding board and 'thendnailed inxsuch nannera's to hold it secure. p I

Another object ofthe invention resides in the provision of nailing. mechanism Whereby the nails maybe driven and countersunk without danger of marring the wood and so that they do not interfere with the drawing o fthe next board into place; 7 1,

A still further :object is to provide a combinationvfloor jack {and nailing device in which the jack operates to push downwardly vent either the board being laid 'or the machinefrom being lifted due tothe' pressure exerted; l r Y f Other objects reside in the" varions' d tails ,of construction andQc-ombinatlon of pat te. whereby 1a light, easily handled, durableand satisfactory device is provided.

In accomplishing these andother objects j p g V ,ingratchet teeth ,16 whichservea's"a lockvo-fthe invention I have jprovided'the improved details of constructien, the preferred dorms of which areillustrated inthe accom- Figure l is a detail endyof the jack lever. v

{panying drawings, wherein- V v -Figure 11s a. perspective view of ajcombination floor jack and nailing device embodied by the present invention,

" T Figure 2 is .a sideelevationl of'the same; parts being shown in section afor better illustration. i

v t Figure 31 is a front elevation of I the sarne.

Figure 5 is" a plan .view .of'the up per bracket and lever locking "ratchetl. I ri -me 6 is a plan view ofthebase plate. Figure ,7 is a detail sectional view :ofa partof therbase plate.

Referring more in 1 is adapted when the device is, inguse; to ,rest

of the boards being .laid. In the ,present illustration, 1' have designated the false floor I by reference I 011 aracter and thelflooringlhe ,ect of the present viewot'thepronged 5 l v a -ar msf6 by means of the pins 21 and adJacent i' their rearward ends are pivotally connected 'Thedevice consistsiof aibase plate 1 which i plate has a centrah forward'ly' extending portion e that isadapted to overlie-theboard 3 being 'laid,a relatively long rearwardly extend ng portion 5; that rest's onthe fatlse floor 2 and to which the jack mechanism,

presently described, is attached andhas' lat erally extending arms 6 at opposite sides adapted to extend along the outer edg efof 65, r

the board being laid and provided with a" forwardly directed, rounded abutment face 6 centra lly of the arms adaptedto'engage with the face of the board being nailed dithatis braced and heldflperfectly, rigid by meanslo-f two brace bars'9 which, at their upperenjds, are secured bybolts 10'to oppoi d site sides'fof 'thepost' toward its upperen and which, at their lower ends, are fastened by a bolt zor rivet 11 to' Opposite sides of "lug 12 formed at the rearward endiof the base extension 5.

' 'fAt its upper end the post8'has bracket need nny h tb w i j endsh zontally. over the extension 5oiithefbase 1. The brackeh'a's shown in 'FignreA; is pro- '1 videdwith"a longitudinallydirected slot 15 i provided at one side ;with rearwardlyi'facing, or retaining means, ,for. a jackflevenil'l.

which extends through "the slot,

fT 10w? l d orfethe ia k v r justjrearwardly ofthe end of the base extenis disposed I gides o'l the extension 5 and justback 'ofd to opposite sides of theja'c k lever 17 by'a bolt 23 through the parts. The rearward ,ends of thelinks extend slightlybeyond" the I V v lever and have arou'g'hened step-plate 24c detail 'to' the 'dra wpivotally mounted thereon onvwhichthe operater of the device may press withthe foot in a tube Z'TX-Yhich atits lower end isrnou'nt- Gd ill-a'hOS S 28 jforl'ned on the'base plate. I v

to causegtheprongsatthelowergend of the I ajaclclevertobepressedfintothe floor.

' VFor the purpose "of nailing the board in plac e, I haveprovided the nail driving plunger, orrod, 26 that is slidablycontained a 27 and has a continuing bore--31 that opens through the bottom of the base plate in alinement with the forward surfaces of the arms 6;, e I p 7 i p i There is, also provided a nail delivering 1 tube 35'support'ed at its upper end by the bracket;andfopeningat its lower-end into upper end the tube is flared out infunnel v I claim asn'ew therein form,--.asat sothat nails may be more e asilyjdeposited therein. For convenience, I have also provided a nail box 38 on vthe bracketadjacent to the upper end of the nailing tube] V V In usinggthe device, after the first floor board has been nailed in positionand the next board hasibeen laid thereagainst,the jack and nailing device is placed against the board to be nailed in, such manner that the arms 6' extend along the edge ofthe board .with the abutment '6 firmly against the board 'andthe projection 4 extended over i it. The lever 17 is then released at itsfupper a 30 endfrom the ratchet teeth and is pulled rearwardly, as shown in full lines in Figure 1 2, and the prongs ,18 at its lower end are thenpresse'd into the false flooring. by 'bearing downwardly on the step plate 24, vThe lever is 'thenfpushed forwardlyfl sov that,

through the links 19 and base plate, thei Y board will be forcedjtightly against themeintov the upper end of the nailing tube 35' i ceding board. 'The lever is then locked by engagement with one of the ratchet teeth and the board held thereby in place for nailing/The plunger 26 is then drawn outwardly and a nail is dropped, pointfirst,

and is passed downwardlythrough the tube into, theplunger tube and thence into the bore 31 of the base and against the forward" edge of the board, as shown; in Figure, 7. The rod is then plunged inwardly so that its lower end contactswith thehead of the nail and due to the weighted handle, drives it into place. The end of the rod is tapered so'as to countersink the nail without marv 7 ring the board.

i the plunger after-the nail hasbeen driven into place and also to placeacoiled spring 42 between these parts-to absorb the jolt and "to retain the plunger outwardly.

After a board has been nailed'in place,

i the lever is released from the ratchet and its lower end released from the floor.

For convenience 1n carrying-the device a handle 48 may be provided at the upper end of the post., v

" Such devices can be used where falsefloors arenot laid by placing it on the floor-i ing joists and it can also be used satisfac 'tor ily fo1."na1l1ng up ceiling, boards or the like. I v

It is to'be' noted that the connection between the jack lever and base 1 is such that when pressure is applied through the lever and linkslt), it is directed downwardly and thus the boardand machine are not forced upwardly as isfthe objectionable feature of Some of thenailing devices now' in use. i i

Having iJllLlSdQSCIJbGLl my invention, what by Letters-Patent, is:

and desire to secure comprising a base plate provided with; an

abutment and having a nailing opening lower end with means for'holdingfcontact necting the jack lever at a point near its lowenend with the base, a plunger tubemounted on the base coaxial with said nailing opening, a nail delivery tube opening into the'first tube for the, delivery offn'ails intothe nailing'opening, and a plunger re ciprocall driving the nails! 7 1 2. A device of-the character described,

coinprisinga-base plate provided with an abutment, for'engaging the outer edge "of? a board being laid, a jack lever'having its y operable inithe plunger tube fortherethrough at the face of the abutment, a i hand actuated jack lever provided at its lower end equipped for holding contact with a floor or support, links connectingthe lever and base through which a downwardly di- I rected pressure maybe applied to the base 7 to press the abutment against the board, means supported by the base for locking the lever, a nail delivery tube for conveying nails into said nailing opening, andaplunger operable to drive the nails.

3. A device of the characterdescribed,

comprising'a base plate having a'transverse abutment for engaging with the outer edge of the board being laid and a forward extension for overlying the board having a nailing opening therethrough atthe face ofthe abutment, apost erected on the base, a bracket on said post, a jack lever provided at its lower end 'with'prongs for holding contact 'with a floor or'support, linkspivotally connected to the base and to the lever adjacent its'lower end through which pressure may be applied tothe base, means in the bracket for lockingthe lever at set positions, a plunger tube e ztended into the nailing opening, a nail'dellvery tube leading into the first tube for the delivery of nails to the nail opening, and a plunger reciprocally oper able inand extending fromthe plunger tube for driving the nails.

4, A device of the 'character described,

' comprising a base plate having a transverse abutment for engaging with the outer edge of the board being laid and a forward'extension for overlying the board having a nail- 7 ing opening therethrough at the face of the abutment, a post erected on the base, a horizontal bracket on said post overlying the base and having a longitudinal slot provid- I against the base plate, said lever being extended at its upper end through said bracket slot for locking engagement with said ratchet teeth, a rearwardly inclined tube mounted on said base plate coaxial with the nailing opening, a nail feed tube leading into the first tube for the delivery of nails to the nailing opening, a plunger rod reciprocally movable in the first tube for driving said nails, and a weight at the outer end of said plunger rod. 7

I 5. A device of the' character described, comprising a base plate provided with an abutment for engaging the board being laid, a post erected on the base, a bracket supported by. the post, a jack lever provided with i a pronged lower end for piercing a supporting floor, or the like, a pair of links pivotally' connected to opposite sidesof the base and to said lever adjacent its lower end and extended beyond thelever, a step plate mounted on said extended portions whereby said prongs of the lever may be pressed into the" floor, means in the bracket for locking the lever at set positions, a plunger tube extended into the nailing opening, a nail delivery tube leading into the first tube for the delivery of nails to thenail opening, and a' plungerjreciprocally operable in and extending1 from'the plunger tube foradriving the na1 s. a i

6. A device of the character described, comprising a base plate provided with an abutment and having a nailing opening therethrough at the face of the abutment, a

jack lever provided at its lower end with means for holding contact with a floor or support, links pivotallyconnecting the jack lever with the base, a plunger tube mounted a on the base coaxial with said nailing opening, a nail delivery tube opening into the first tube for the delivery 1 of nails into the nailing opening and a plunger reciprocally operable in the plunger tube and extending therefrom, a weight on the outer end of said rod, and a yieldable cushioning memberdisposed at the inner end of the handle for en.-

gagement with the end of the plunger containing tube. v

Signed "at Everett, Snohomish County, WVashington, this 9th day of June, 1925. HENRY HARRIS PAYZANT. 

